Italian Literature
I (Katherine Heitner) have decided to keep the topic of my research broad and to discuss the great literature we receive from the Italians. I will be focusing on Ovid, Boccaccio, Machiavelli, and Petrarch. If you are interested in the writings of Dante and Virgil, go visit Rachel McLain's research page! 'Ovid:' ''"Beauty is a fragile gift." -Ovid'' Ovid was a Roman poet who lived between 43 B.C. and 17 A.D. He was an influence and inspiration to great writers such as Shakespeare, Chaucer, Dante, and Milton. Ovid was a very educated man who decided to use his education within his writing rather than become a politician or public speaker as his father wanted. During his time, he was considered the most brilliant poet of his generation amoungst the wealthy. Virgil may have been the greatest Roman poet, but Ovid was the most popular. Ovid was most famous for his love poetry which may have also been the reason Ovid was exhiled in 8 A.D. Ovid wrote during the time of Emperor Augustus while Augustus was attempting to morally reform the Romans. Ovid's most famous work is Metamorphoses. Metamorphoses ''is an epic lyrical ballad which tells the story of humans and nymphs transforming into animals and plants. This work is the best classical source of 250 Greek and Roman myths. Ovid says that ''Metamorphoses is one continuous epic rather than an anthology of myths; however, there is no central character. Ovid attempts to create the epic by including transformations in each tale. He also attempts to order the tales chronologically. follow one character through several tales, tell a stroy within a tale, or move on to a relative or friend from the previous tale. Ovid was influenced by the Greek greats such as Homer, Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripedes. 'Boccaccio:' ''"People tend to believe the bad rather than the good." - Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccacio lived between 1313 and 1375. He was from the Tuscany region and was encouraged to go into commerce, but he quickly gave up the path for poetry. He went to Naples and began writing within the noble court. He wrote many tales, a few of which Chaucer translated within his works. He later became a diplomat and made a lasting friendship with Francesco Petrach. His greatest work, the Decameron, is a frame narrative. The overarching story tells of a group of seven young women and three men fleeing from a plague-ridden Florence. Each traveler tells ten stories over the course of the two-week period-- 100 stories total, which gives the work its title. The plots of the stories came from popular fiction of his day, including fabliaux that originally came from France. Boccaccio did not merely copy these works, but created a unique work that reflects both the classical and romantic tendencies of European literature. Boccaccio's Decameron has had a lasting effect on famous writers and poets all over the world since the work was completed in 1358. Both Chaucer and Shakespeare borrowed from it, and Keats, Swinburne, Longfellow, Tennyson, George Eliot all wrote poems concerning the work. 'Machiavelli: ''"It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both" - Niccolo Machiavelli'' Niccolo Machiavelli wrote the controversial political essay The Prince. Machiavelli was a fierce politican and diplomat. Machiavelli was alive between 1469 and 1527. He came from Florence. Machiavelli entered politics at a fairly young age. After Savanarola was executed, he became a secretary. He quickly escalated positions within the Florentine government and soon became a diplomat. Machiavelli was very influential within the Florentine government until the Medici returned in 1512. The Medici quickly dismissed Machiavelli from his position, and he left town. After this time, Machiavelli began to write. He started with his most famous work, The Prince. Machiavelli was hoping that this work would please the Medici and that he would come back into political favor. Unforunately, the Medici was not a fan of his writing and the general public was infuriated. Machiavelli continued writing; however, none of his other works are as notorious as The Prince. The notority of The Prince ''continued to haunt Machiavelli after the Medici were kicked out of Florence. He ran for office again, but the Florentines believed that he wanted to the same type of government as the Medici. Machiavelli died shortly after his last political failure in 1527. ''The Prince ''is a very misunderstood work. Machiavelli composed ''The Prince as a practical guide for ruling (though some scholars argue that the book was written as a satire and essentially as a guide on how not to rule). This goal is evident from the very begininng, the dedication of the book to Lorenzo de Medici, the ruler of Florence. The Prince ''is not particularly theoretical or abstract; its proses is simple and its logic straightforward. These traits underscore Machiavelli's desire to provide practical, easily understandable advice. Machiavelli finishes ''The Prince ''asserting the belief that Leonardo de Medici can restore Italy's pride and honor since the country's disunity. 'Petrarch: ''"True, we love life, not because we are used to living, but because we are used to loving. There is always some madness in love, but there is always some reason in madness" -Francecso Petrarch'' Francesco Petrarch was born in 1304 in Arrezo and died in 1374. Petrarch began studies in law, but after the death of his father he gave up the law to pursue becoming part of the clergy and writing. Reading and writing were his ultimate passions in life. Petrarch was a great influence on other writers including Boccaccio of his own time and later on people such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Shelley. Petrarch supposedly met Laura de Noves in 1327.He was "in love" or obsessed with her for the rest of his life. He wrote 366 poems about his love to her. He often used the Italian sonnet format and popularized the form. Because of his use, people credited this form to him and it is now called the Petrarchian sonnet. His sonnets became a model forf lyrical poetry. He became the poet laureate in Rome in 1341. His acceptance speech for this reward is considered the first manifesto for the Renaissance. He is known to be the first to develop the concept of the "dark ages." A celebrity throughout Europe, Petrarch travelled widely for pleasure, and is sometimes called "the first tourist." Known for his work reviving interest in classical literature, Petrarch is considered "the father of Humanism," an attitude associated with the flourishing of Florence. Category:Italian Literature